"Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." -- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The text:
(NET) Romans 7:21 So, I find the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. 23 But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be1 to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then,2 I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but3 with my flesh I serve4 the law of sin.

The Believer’s Relationship to the Holy Spirit

8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.52 For the law of the life-giving Spirit6 in Christ Jesus has set you7 free from the law of sin and death.

Notes:

1 tc ‡ Most mss (א* A 1739 1881 Ï sy) read “I give thanks to God” rather than “Now thanks be to God” (א1 [B] Ψ 33 81 104 365 1506 pc), the reading of NA27. The reading with the verb (εὐχαριστῶ τῷ θεῷ, eucaristw tw qew) possibly arose from a transcriptional error in which several letters were doubled (TCGNT 455). The conjunction δέ (de, “now”) is included in some mss as well (א1 Ψ 33 81 104 365 1506 pc), but it should probably not be considered original. The ms support for the omission of δέ is both excellent and widespread (א* A B D 1739 1881 Ï lat sy), and its addition can be explained as an insertion to smooth out the transition between v. 24 and 25.

2 tn There is a double connective here that cannot be easily preserved in English: “consequently therefore,” emphasizing the conclusion of what he has been arguing.

3 tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two clauses more than can be easily expressed in English.

4 tn The words “I serve” have been repeated here for clarity.

5 tc The earliest and best witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western texts, as well as a few others (א* B D* F G 6 1506 1739 1881 pc co), have no additional words for v. 1. Later scribes (A D1 Ψ 81 365 629 pc vg) added the words μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦσιν (mh kata sarka peripatousin, “who do not walk according to the flesh”), while even later ones (א2 D2 33vid Ï) added ἀλλὰ κατὰ πνεῦμα (alla kata pneuma, “but [who do walk] according to the Spirit”). Both the external evidence and the internal evidence are compelling for the shortest reading. The scribes were evidently motivated to add such qualifications (interpolated from v. 4) to insulate Paul’s gospel from charges that it was characterized too much by grace. The KJV follows the longest reading found in Ï.

6 tn Grk “for the law of the Spirit of life.”

7 tc Most mss read the first person singular pronoun με (me) here (A D 1739c 1881 Ï lat sa). The second person singular pronoun σε (se) is superior because of external support (א B {F which reads σαι} G 1506* 1739*) and internal support (it is the harder reading since ch. 7 was narrated in the first person). At the same time, it could have arisen via dittography from the final syllable of the verb preceding it (ἠλευθέρωσεν, hleuqerwsen; “has set free”). But for this to happen in such early and diverse witnesses is unlikely, especially as it depends on various scribes repeatedly overlooking either the nu or the nu-bar at the end of the verb.

Sermon Notes: First, a review of Romans 7 up to now: If we are not “under law” and if we are “free from law” then:

What is the purpose of the law? What does it do... and not do?

The law shows us the reality and extent of sin. (7)

The law provokes sin. (8)

The law results in spiritual death. (9-10)

The law reveals that sin deceives and puts to death. (11)

The law shows the ways God wants people to live. (12)

The law exposes sin for what it is—showing sin to be the true cause
of separation from God (“death”). (13)

The law is spiritual—but I am unspiritual (“fleshly”). (14)

In my “flesh”—I live a life of struggle against sin. (15-16)

Sin lives in me—and I have no power (in my flesh) capable of overcoming it. (17-18)

In my flesh, I cannot do the good I want to do, and I cannot keep from doing the evil I do not want to do. (18-19)

Which brings us to the problem: There is a powerful presence of sin in me. (20-21). Here the notesheet linked above had to much important information to even try to summarize. Listen to the audio and follow the notesheet is the only advice I can give.